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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. craft — boats
  4. swing — in golf
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. rash — a series
  7. spell — a short time
  8. stem — to come from
  9. mark — a grade
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. pit — a hole
  12. pit — in a race
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. mark — a trace
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. craft — a skill
  17. swing — to play on
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. rash — hasty
  21. branch — a division
  22. swing — music
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. spell — magic

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com